Looking for Fun Team Building Activities? Try #Kayaking!

By Jennifer L. Koerner

Team Building and Kayaking go hand-in-hand for several reasons. Team building and kayaking have each become very popular activities over the past couple decades, for starters; and both encourage groups of individuals to work together as a team with a common goal or destination. And, if done right, both activities should be fun for everyone involved. A successful team building evolution will have full participation and will see individuals overcome personal challenges while working as a group to reach a common goal. By combining the two - team building and kayaking - you are guaranteed success!

Group kayak trips meet many of the challenges faced by team building specialists - they entertain employees enough to keep them interested in the activity while expanding horizons and teaching teamwork. Companies benefit when employees work as a team. Successful companies, like successful teams, share goals, experiences and vision. A group kayak trip is almost a team building evolution in disguise; because, without calling the trip a team building event, companies bring their employees together as a group, give them a shared experience and, in a fun and inspiring setting, allow each individual to face a new challenge with teammates sharing a common destination.

When setting up a group kayaking trip as a team building evolution, tell the outfitter facilitating your group what you're doing but tell your employees they are being rewarded for outstanding performance. Even if their past performance doesn't warrant a reward, rest assured their future performance will. Employees have a tendency to resist team building activities and new challenges, so the challenge is often to get full, optimistic participation. The outfitter can build-in elements to your kayak trip designed to create teamwork, cooperation and a shared sense of accomplishment while giving everyone a great time and a bonding adventure they will cherish.

To increase the team building value, ask the outfitter if they can accommodate your group with all tandem kayaks. Paddling a tandem kayak requires a great deal of teamwork and cooperation whether that's your goal or not. Putting everyone in tandem kayaks immediately forces people to let go of their individual issues and learn to work together as teams. With a group of tandems, each team must learn to negotiate their kayak in proximity to other team in their own kayaks. Together, these teams form a larger group of teams experiencing and overcoming the same challenges. In fact, it isn't uncommon to find one team sharing their own secrets of paddling success with other teams - coaching them through the difficulties they have just experienced and overcome. Isn't this the ultimate goal of team building in the workplace?

By the end of a group kayaking trip, everyone has learned something new and overcome challenges to reach a common destination or goal. When these individuals return to the workplace, the transformation will be obvious as they share information in a whole new way - helping their teammates through challenges with a genuine desire to see them succeed at what they are doing. Kayaking has a way of bringing out the best in people and encouraging - or forcing - teamwork and cooperation. At the very least, you will have an appreciative group of employees who have bonded during a shared experience and will look forward to their next adventure in team building.

Jennifer Koerner has been a professional kayak instructor for 16-years and is the owner of Up The Creek Xpeditions in St. Marys, Georgia. Up The Creek Xpeditions is a full-service kayak outfitter -- providing guided kayak tours, kayak instruction, kayak rentals and kayak sales since 1997. Up The Creek maintains a kayak fleet of nearly 100-kayaks and specializes in large-group kayak outings, team-building and providing exclusive resort kayaking services to destination resorts such as The Ritz-Carlton, Cabin Bluff, Amelia Island Plantation and numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Visit Up The Creek at: http://www.UpTheCreekX.com
Or, e-mail us at: info@UpTheCreekX.com

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Origin Of #Kayaking

By Milos Pesic

John MacGregor invented kayaking. In 1845, he designed Rob Roy (a canoe) and in 1866, he formed a canoe club with others interested in kayaking. In 1936, kayaking became part of the Olympics followed by white water race.

Kayaks History

People of Arctic, like the Inuit, first developed kayaks many years ago. Centuries passed away to design and redesign kayaks having supreme design for people of particular region. The term kayak means "hunter's boat" or "man's boat." The kayak is a boat powered by human. The deck of the boat is covered. The kayak has a cockpit covered with a spray skirt.

The first kayak was made of wood with a small hole in middle craft for the person to sit. Inuit and Aleut developed kayaks as a means for hunting. The design of kayaks varies considerably from one region to another. The design of canoes and kayaks differs distinctly as double blade paddles propel kayaks and canoes have flat bottoms and are propelled by single bladed paddle. In some countries like Ireland and Great Britain, kayaks are known as canoes.

One, two, or even more paddlers can be accommodated in a kayak. The paddlers sit in cockpits below the deck, facing forward. The spray skirt or any other waterproof material is attached to the edges of the cockpit in a secure manner to avoid water from entering the kayak and moving the kayak upright preventing the water from filling and ejecting the paddler.

Earlier people made different kayaks for different purposes, but now the term kayak is being used broadly for boat.

Baidarka- this is a double or triple kayak developed in Alaska as a means for transportation of goods or passengers and for hunting.

Umiak- this is a larger open deck boat. The Umiak (women's boat) ranges from 17 to60 feet and is made of wood and sealskin. Single-bladed paddles were used in it and had more than one paddler.

Material Used

Earlier kayaks were made of wooden frames covered with skinseal. They were made by people who would use it with skin jacket sewn into it to act as waterproof seal. With time, the material used to make the kayak has changed. Whalebone or driftwood were used to make kayaks. During those times, sea lion skin was used as covering with whale fat as sealant. Now kayaks are made from fiberglass, plastic, and carbon fiber materials. Nowadays, kayaks are light, durable, versatile, and sturdy.

Nowadays, kayaking is accessible by all skill levels and is a form of exercise, exploration and travel.

Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of popular and comprehensive Kayaking [http://kayaking.need-to-know.net] information site. For more articles and resources on Kayaking related topics, visit his site at:

=>[http://kayaking.need-to-know.net]

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#HowlandIsland and Owasco River

May 10, 2015 Howland Island and Owasco River

 The weather was iffy and those who overlooked the early morning downpour gathered at Mosquito Point eager to paddle. Oh, and true to the Point’s name, every foul mosquito came to greet us. We perfumed ourselves with OFF, so not all those hungry insects got a taste of our blood. Read More

Demo Day 2015

Packing a First Aid #Kit for Kayaking - Waterproof Kits for #InflatableKayaks

By Christine Layton
Even if you're heading into safe waters it's always important to pack a good first aid kit to bring with you while kayaking. A first aid kit should be stored in a strong waterproof container and include important items that will help you in an emergency, if you get an injury or if you just need to treat a few scrapes. The kit should also be very lightweight and suitable to fit in all kayaks, including inflatable kayaks.
First, select a durable container for your kit. The waterproof container can be a hard plastic case or just a very good bag that can be sealed easily. Many companies produce these containers that are designed for water sports like canoeing and kayaking.
Next, add basic first aid supplies. This includes band-aids in various sizes, ibuprofen, antibiotic ointment, alcohol and antiseptic wipes, self-stick bandages, antihistamine, tweezers and a first aid manual. You should also include some bug bite spray that reduces itching. Add a small bottle of strong sunscreen and any prescription medication you may need to take, including an inhaler. Finally, super glue can help to treat blisters, allowing you to paddle without pain.
<stron>Kayaking Supplies: What to Pack in Inflatable Kayaks</stron>
There are also some items you should bring specific to kayaking or heading into a more secluded area. A whistle can help you signal for help if you become injured or stuck. A drink for hydration like Gatorade is a good choice to keep your fluids up if you're stranded. You should also pack some emergency food like energy bars and trail mix. Dramamine in pill or chewable form can fight motion sickness. This is good to pack even if you've never experienced morning sickness in inflatable kayaks before. A bottle of iodine can treat water to make it potable in an emergency while a wrist support can give you the ability to paddle if you start to develop tendonitis or wrist pain.
Inflatable kayaks are a great way to enjoy the water but it's always important to pack a good first aid kit to be prepared. You never know when the weather will turn or you will suffer even a minor injury. Being prepared means you'll be able to take care of yourself in an emergency and get yourself to help when you need it. This list contains everything necessary for a very well-made kit, although there may be some additional items you can include for your unique situation.
Christine Layton is an outdoor enthusiast who works with Boats To Go, the best source for inflatable kayaks, boats and rafts. With the lowest prices in the country, Boatstogo.com is the first stop for kayakers who want a quality vessel.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Layton
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Demo Day 2015

First paddle of the 2015 CNY Kayak Club season April 26, 2015 Sterling Creek from Fairhaven to Sterling Nature Center Canoe Launch

 Camillus Kayak Shop Demo Day

Top 5 Handheld #GPS Manufacturers

by Samuel Walker

Handheld GPS units are extremely popular for a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, geocaching, hunting, kayaking, snowshoeing, and skiing. Although there are many different GPS manufacturers to choose from there are five main manufacturers that are extremely popular for handheld GPS units. Each company has their own unique models to choose from.

Below are the five Handheld GPS Manufacturers to consider when searching for a GPS device.

GPS Manufacturers

Garmin
Garmin is likely one of the most popular manufacturers for GPS units as well as many other products. Garmin began its business 21 years ago in 1989. They comprised at that time of a few engineers who got together to develop and construct navigation and communication devices. Today Garmin has offices all over the world and well over 7,000 employees. They design and market units for:

Automotive navigation
Marine devices
Aviation
Fitness
Wireless GPS for smart phones
Outdoor receivers


The Garmin handheld GPS units are well known for offering great quality as well as the latest technology. They are often voted the best in their class.

Magellan
The Magellan Corporation has changed ownership and name several times. The original Magellan Corporation was founded in 1986 but in 2001 they were acquired by Thales, a large electronics company. In 2006 Thales Navigation was purchased by Shah Capital Partners who changed the name to Magellan. Then in 2009 they were bought out again by MiTAC International Corporation. The consumer GPS units are still marketed under the Magellan brand. They have an extensive line of handheld GPS devices as well as automotive navigation devices. Despite the constant change of ownership Magellan still does and always has produced good quality GPS units.

DeLorme
DeLorme has been in business since 1976. They create technology, mapping products, and data not only for consumers but also for professionals. Although they always produced great quality products they really earned a name for themselves in the 1990’s when they pioneered GPS solutions for laptops, Palm OS devices, Pocket PC’s and recently for Bluetooth applications and color topographic maps and aerial imagery. They have a fairly good selection of handheld GPS devices.

Lowrance
Lowrance Electronics Inc. is one of the oldest GPS manufacturers. They began in 1957 and have a pioneer in developing Global Positioning System mapping instruments. They have an extensive line of SONAR and GPS units for outdoor recreation as units for aviation, marine and automotive. They have a decent selection of handheld GPS units.

Bushnell
Bushnell offers a wide range of outdoor technology tools such as binoculars, scopes, rangefinders, trail cameras, flashlights and of course handheld GPS units. They have been in the high performance sports optics industry for over 50 years. They only have a few handheld GPS receivers but they are tailored for all outdoor activities. More basic in design and features than the other GPS manufacturers listed above their units are ideal for any sportsman looking for a GPS device made simple.

With so much choice in handheld GPS manufacturers it is not hard to find a model to suit your outdoor activities and all your needs.

Learn much more about handheld GPS units and find pictures and a comprehensive review of the Garmin GPSMAP 76 waterproof handheld GPS.

Article Source: Top 5 Handheld GPS Manufacturers
Camillus Kayak Shop Demo Day

#Camillus #Kayak Shop Demo Day 

Sunday May 24, 2015
Gillie Lake Park Camillus, NY
The FUN Starts at 10:00 AM

Have you ever attended a demo day? You have the opportunity to try out the kayaks and stand up paddleboards on the water to see which sizes and models are the right fit for you, depending on your skill level and intended use. Here are some thoughts on paddleboarding and kayaking from a recent demo day, sponsored by Camillus Kayak Shop, Camillus, N.Y.
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